


Fervent Hearts

by malhagie



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Coffee Shops, First Meetings, Gay Male Character, M/M, Meet-Cute, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:49:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25873138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malhagie/pseuds/malhagie
Summary: The story of a budding romance between two men. After a disastrous first meeting can they find it in themselves to grow to like each other, let alone love each other?(Will add more description as the story progresses.)"Maxwell Darrow worked at a coffee shop. It was a small coffee shop in a small city in Iowa..."
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 1





	1. The Coffee Shop

Maxwell Darrow worked at a coffee shop. It was a small coffee shop in a small city in Iowa. Nestled deep in the Midwest the city was a small pocket of progressiveness and the coffee shop reflected this. The menu items were organic, locally grown, and expensive. Maxwell was encouraged to personalize his uniform with buttons. He had a button for his pronouns, a simple rainbow pin, and a Hufflepuff pin. He wasn’t that into pins but indulged in it anyway. 

Maxwell liked his job, for the most part. His coworkers were nice and making drinks was rather fun. The worst part was the terrible customers. Most of the time bad customers were pretentious assholes with specific orders who demanded perfection and found flaws in drinks that were their own fault for ordering wrong. 

The most recent negative interaction he had with a customer did not start off bad. He was a man on the short side and of middle eastern descent with thick black hair. He walked in with a friendly smile. Before Maxwell could say the customary greeting he had been trained to say the man began to rattle off an order while looking at his phone screen. Maxwell hurriedly punched in the order, struggling to keep up with the man’s rapid fire instructions.

In the end the man ended up with two trays worth of drinks, probably for an entire office of people. He watched Maxwell intensely as he made the drinks, as he was the only one up front. His manager was back in her office. His stare was unnerving and unrelenting. Maxwell was forced to work slower than usual to make sure he didn’t make any mistakes on the complicated orders.

Maxwell put the drinks in the trays and handed them over to the man. They held eye contact for a few long seconds. The man stared at him blankly with dark eyes, accepting the drinks without so much as a thank you.

The man returned the same day next week. His smile was gone. He stepped up the counter and launched into a tirade. He listed off ridiculous complaints like ice melting too fast, hot drinks cooling off too fast, and apparently false advertising as to what one of the drinks would be like. Things well beyond Maxwell’s control.

Maxwell’s manager was up front and able to witness the rant. She was a short Mexican woman with a harsh attitude. She stopped cleaning one of the frappe machines to watch how Maxwell would handle the irate customer.

“I’m sorry so many things went wrong with your drinks,” Maxwell said. He paused to gather his thoughts before he spoke again but was cut off.

“Yeah, whatever, here’s the order,” the man said. He took a deep breath and began to rattle off a completely different set of drinks than what was ordered last time.

Maxwell punched the orders into the register, verbally double checking each drink to make sure he had it right. He and his manager worked together to make them. Once again Maxwell caught the man staring at him. He had deep set eyes and a piercing glare. Maxwell met his eyes for a few moments before returning to work on the drinks. The man remained unphased..

“Hope they turn out better this time,” the man remarked, collecting the trays.

“Me too,” Maxwell mumbled, quiet enough that he would not be heard.

The man left the coffee shop. Maxwell watched as he struggled to get himself and his two trays of drinks into his black sedan. The sour taste the man had left in Maxwell’s mouth began to clear up a bit.

He turned back around, intending to clean up the mess he had made making drinks to find his manager directly behind him.

“You didn’t handle that very well,” she said, providing no elaboration before turning back to the frappe machine.

The next week the man with the big smile and the intense stare and shiny black car showed up again. 

“You’re still here?” he asked Maxwell, stepping up to the register.

“Can I take your order?” he asked, refusing to take the bait. 

The man unlocked his phone and began to rattle off the order like he had the previous two times. Obediently Maxwell took the order and made the drinks. This time he didn’t make eye contact. The man left with his dagger stare, no more drama this time.

The next day he came in again, breaking the weekly pattern. He was looking at the floor waiting in line, his posture slumped, but he perked up and smiled wide when he stepped up to Maxwell’s register/

“You know everyone at work always complained about the drinks you made,” the man said, his phone remained in his pocket.

“I’m so sorry, may I take your order,” he said through grinding teeth, struggling to maintain his composure.

“Actually, just give me what you think is best. Go wild. Let’s see what that little brain can come up with,” the man said, leaning against the counter, his smile growing sharp.

Maxwell was shocked into silence. Silently he rang up his favorite drink to make and gave the man the price with a stunted voice. The man produced a twenty and stuffed it into the tip jar instead of paying. He turned to the drink counter to wait. Maxwell fished the bill from the jar to put it in the register.

His stomach did something strange while he was counting out the change to add back to the tip jar. The impossible man was watching him again. Maxwell turned his back to him as he made the drink, a white chocolate mocha with raspberry. He thoroughly doused the drink with the raspberry syrup, not sure what he was accomplishing with the gesture besides wasting the syrup.

He handed the drink over with a blank stare on his face, his eyes flicking to the man’s face for a short second. Those dark eyes bored into his, they seemed to see into the syrup flavored anger brewing there.

The drink slipped from Maxwell’s fingers. It wasn’t in the other man’s hand. It fell and with a small clatter hit the counter, the lid popped off and hot coffee splashed over the counter and all over the other man.

"Fuck!" the man shouted.

Maxwell’s hand hovered in the air, shocked by his blunder.

"God, you fucking idiot!" he screamed at Maxwell. 

He shook the coffee from his hands. He grabbed the napkins offered by Maxwell’s manager, blotting them on his soaked clothing. He dropped the napkins on the floor and stormed out of the coffee shop. Maxwell watched him throw himself into his car and peel out of the parking lot.

“You handled that poorly, now clean up that mess,” Maxwell’s manager said over his shoulder.

He got to work cleaning. The man never came back to the coffee shop. 


	2. The Bar

The bar was dark and loud. Live music pounded the building and Maxwell’s eardrums. The sound was trapped by the brick walls of the squat building. Black lights lined the bar and the walls making the bar a riot of neons in the sea of blue and black. The teeth of the waitress serving him glowed blue.

Maxwell swirled his drink; lemonade and vodka. There was not enough sugar in it, it felt a little too much like drinking hand sanitizer. He had to face that he was only here because he knew he should not be drinking alone, and desperately he wanted to be drunk. Being drunk sounded so nice. He badly wanted to be able to turn off his brain for a little bit and to stop thinking about the things stressing him out.

He was so tired of work. He had gotten in trouble for dropping the drink on that man and he couldn’t seem to get back on his manager’s good side. He had lost shifts because of it and money was getting tighter. And he was lonely. He didn’t really have friends he could confide in. The few he did have either worked at the coffee shop or had jobs that seemed more stressful than working in a coffee shop.

He resolved to finish his drink before leaving for another bar with better mixers. Maxwell gulped down a big sip and sat back, rubbing his face. He looked around and noticed a man lurking at the corner of the bar, staring at him.

He was a dark spot in the room. No part of him was glowing and he nearly disappeared into the wall. The man met Maxwell’s gaze in the darkness. He pushed off the wall and began to move through the crowd towards where Maxwell was sitting. As he got closer he resolved into someone Maxwell recognized; the man from the coffee shop. Anxiety washed over Maxwell like a wave. He sat paralyzed as the man approached.

The man smiled, wide and easy. He leaned into the bar. Maxwell’s head was spinning. He wished he hadn’t drank so much already, then maybe he would be able to think clearly. Instead he focused on the man’s beard. It had been a neat shadow near his face the last time Maxwell had seen him, but now it had a bit of scruff.

“Can I buy you a drink?” the man asked.

“No, not you. You almost got me fired,” Maxwell said, struggling not to let the nervousness bubbling in him show.

“Did I now? As I remember you spilled a drink on me,” the man said.

Anger roiled and bubbled in Maxwell like it was about to spill over. His breath hissed out through his teeth. He stepped down from the barstool and turned to leave. 

“Wait,” the man said, and he stepped into Maxwell’s space, blocking him from leaving, “Sorry I almost got you fired. You deserve a drink for putting up with me. Can I buy you one?”

Maxwell took a step back, he was mesmerized by that disarming smile. Bright even in the darkness. 

“I don’t… I am done drinking tonight,” Maxwell said. 

“Oh that is too bad. Are you leaving then?” the man said. 

He had a nice voice too. Low and sonorous, masculine but soft.

“Yeah,” Maxwell said as he stepped around him. 

He wove his way through the bar and the patrons that crowded it, aware that the man was following him the entire time. He spilled out onto the street, the cool autumn air hitting him hard. The golden glow of the streetlights was brighter than the light in the bar. It gave Maxwell a better view of the man who had followed him out. He had caramel skin and thick black hair. He was not smiling now and his deep set eyes were troubled. His hands were in the pockets of his leather jacket and his posture was defeated.

“I am genuinely sorry about getting you in trouble at work,” the man said.

“Sorry I spilled the drink on you,” Maxwell admitted.

“Thank you for your apology,” the man said, with an honest small smile. 

He stepped closer. Maxwell looked away. He removed his keys from his pocket and began to fiddle with him.

“You gonna drive home? You look kinda drunk,” the man said.

“No,” Maxwell said defensively, “I’m walking. I live close by.”

“Can I walk you home then?” the man asked, his voice lifting with excitement, “Since I can’t buy you a drink.”

Maxwell considered it. He really didn’t want this stranger following him but the more he thought about it the less he was concerned. The man had wanted to buy him a drink, to walk him home, he was trying to get on Maxwell’s good side, maybe even flirt with him. And besides, it wasn’t like he was ugly.

“Okay,” Maxwell conceded.

"I'm Jack Malik," he offered his hand to shake.

"Maxwell Darrow," he said, taking Jack's hand.

He had a firm handshake. Jack was smiling widely as he took his hand back.

"Well lead the way," Jack said.

Maxwell smiled for the first time that night, he turned and began walking, letting Jack catch up to him. It was a short walk from the downtown bars to Maxwell’s apartment building. Jack fell in step next to Maxwell with his hands shoved into his pockets. Together they took up the entirety of the slim sidewalk. 

“So do you still work at the coffee shop? I haven’t been there since- in awhile” Jack said.

“Yeah,” Maxwell said, keeping his eyes on the cracks in the sidewalk.

“Do you like working there?”

“It’s okay. The customers are the worst,” with that Maxwell turned to look at Jack who rewarded him with a sly smile.

“Where do you work?” Maxwell asked.

“I worked in a research office for an agriculture company. I used to double check a computer ’s work.”

“Use to? Did you get fired?” Maxwell asked, curiosity clear in his voice, and worry about potential rudeness abandoned.

“I-uh-um-,” Jack paused walking, running his hand through his lavish hair. “I threw water in my co-worker’s face.”

Maxwell’s eyes went wide, “Why?”

“He was being rude. And he needed a shower,” Jack said with a shrug.

“A shower?”

“Yeah, he fucking smelled everyday.”

Maxwell almost laughed.

“Have you found a new job?” he asked.

“Yeah, I work for a company that makes machines that do ion chromatography. I go to places that use them and install new ones or fix old ones.”

“Is it a good job?”

“Yeah it’s fine, new people everyday. Get to go see all of Iowa and some of Missouri.”

“Must be exciting, seeing all different types of corn,” Maxwell said with a small laugh.

“Yeah,” Maxwell agreed, smiling wide.

“So is that why you never came back?” Maxwell was not completely sure why he was asking.

“Plenty of other coffee shops where the baristas don’t spill your drink on you.”

Maxwell’s enthusiasm deflated. Jack must have picked up on it because he quickly said, “But don’t worry, I haven’t found one with a barista as cute as you.”

Maxwell stopped walking and turned to look at Jack directly. He was smiling wide with a mischievous look in his eye.

“Really?” 

“Yeah, most are too young for me anyway,” Jack responded.

Maxwell hadn’t really been asking about the attractiveness of other baristas compared to him. He could no longer ignore this man’s attempts to flirt with him.

He looked up to discover he was less than a block away from his building.

“This is me,” he said pointing.

“You going to ask me up for coffee?”

“No,” Maxwell put his foot down. He had enough socializing for the night and didn’t want a near stranger in his apartment, “But I can give you my phone number.”

“Deal,” Jack said excitedly. 

He dug his phone out of his pocket. After unlocking it and pulling up his contacts he gave it to Maxwell to put in his number. Maxwell did so and gave it back, a small smile forced onto his face by Jack’s enthusiasm.

“See you later! Gotta go track down my car!” Jack said as he walked away, waving.

Maxwell sighed, watching him disappear down the dark street. He turned back to his building and went inside. Once his door was locked behind him he took a second to breathe. He didn’t realize it during the conversation but his heart had been going a mile a minute, and was just starting to slow down. He still felt a bit buzzed. Too buzzed to properly prepare for bed. He collapsed onto his couch. 

His phone chimed in his pocket. He took it out to find a text from an unknown number:  _ Hi its Jack. I found my car. See you soon? _

Maxwell smiled at his phone despite himself. He fell asleep before he could reply.


	3. A Real Date

The next day Maxwell was off work. Thus he did not get off the couch until noon. His phone was still open to the text when he unlocked it. He saved Jack’s name into his phone before replying:  _ Hi. I have a shift from 6-11 tomorrow but otherwise I am free _

The reply was near instantaneous:  _ Do you want to get lunch? _

_ Sure _ , Maxwell texted back.

Jack recommended a restaurant within walking distance of the coffee shop. Maxwell agreed.

After attending to his mild hangover Maxwell returned to the couch. He turned on the TV and found something to watch, but he could not focus. His mind wandered to the previous night. To Jack with his bravery and his pretty hair. He was relieved that he could put the coffee incident behind him. He only wished his manager could too.

The next day at work Maxwell went above and beyond. He was chipper and kind to customers and he moved fast when cleaning and making drinks. He smiled wide at his manager, thinking of Jack’s smile when he did so. Despite Maxwell’s hard work, time still ticked by slowly. His manager caught him looking at the clock and he imagined throwing water in her face, but finally his shift ended and he was able to clock out. He changed clothing in the coffee shop bathroom, out of his work clothing and into clothing for his date with Jack.

_ His date! _ He had a date! A real one, at least he hoped. After failed romances in the past Maxwell was warry, but he was so lonely. He had almost ruined his chances when he shut Jack down those first few times, but now he was excited.

He stood in front of one of the mirrors in the bathroom and tried to fix his red hair after it had been mangled by his uniform visor. He quickly left before he could get too critical about his appearance. He dropped his stuff off in his shitty little car and began to walk to the restaurant. 

He spotted two cars that might have belonged to Jack in the parking lot, Maxwell wasn’t familiar with cars but he knew Jack's car wasn't unique. He stopped outside the restaurant to check his phone, no new texts. He opened up his conversation with Jack. Jack had texted Maxwell that morning to say good morning and confirm their date. 

_ Are you at the restaurant? _ Maxwell texted. 

The reply came quickly:  _ yeah I got a table under my last name. _

Maxwell entered the restaurant and spotted Jack sitting at a table. He moved through the restaurant to join him.

"Hello," Maxwell said, sitting down.

"Hey," Jack drew out the greeting. 

He was smiling wide, his head tilted to the side, "It’s good to see you. I'm glad you made it."

"Yeah. Have you eaten here before?" Maxwell asked. 

"Nope, but it's hard to get Mexican food wrong," he said.

"Yeah," Maxwell agreed. 

A waitress approached and took their orders. Maxwell got a plate of tacos and Jack a burrito. 

In the light of the restaurant Maxwell was finally able to study Jack’s appearance. Thick, luxurious black hair parted down the side and wind swept. His beard was thick but neatly trimmed and close to his face. He had yellow toned caramel skin and Maxwell guessed he was of middle eastern descent. His eyes were black and twinkled warmly. His smile was as bright as ever and filled up not only his face but his whole presence.

They made some small talk as they waited. They talked about work. Maxwell explained that he liked making hot drinks the best at the coffee shop and Jack complained about the wear and tear his car was expected to experience from all the travel.

Their drinks arrived, Maxwell got unsweet tea and Jack got a coke. He downed half his soda in one go and let the glass hit the table with a clatter.

Maxwell was transported back to the moment when he realized that the white chocolate mocha was no in either of their hands. It probably was much more Jack’s fault than his.

“I have some things I need to tell you about myself,” Jack said.

“Oh?” Maxwell asked, trying to quirk an eyebrow.

“I was married before,”

Okay, Maxwell was not concerned. They were both adults, he was not surprised that he had previous relationships.

“And we had a son,” Jack finished.

“Oh,” that was a lot. An entire child.

“Uh, yeah. His name is Corrin and he’s 20 and studying mechanical engineering in college.”

“That’s cool! He must be very smart,” Maxwell said.

He was revealed. An adult son was a whole different ball game then if he was still a child.

“Do you have pictures?”

“Yeah,” Jack pulled out his phone and showed Maxwell a few pictures. 

Corrin looked a lot like his father. He had similar facial features. He had the same colored hair with a slight wave to it and lighter skin.

Maxwell showed him a picture of the two of them together, but with smiles with the wattage turned down. He showed an impassive selfie and another picture of Corrin and a girl his age. They were hugging in the picture, looking happy.

“That’s his girlfriend, Caroline,” Jack explained.

“They look happy,” Maxwell said.

“Yeah,” Jack said with a small smile, putting his phone away. 

“So when do I get to meet him?” Maxwell asked with humor.

“I don’t know, depends,” Jack said, getting sly.

“On what?”

“A few things, mostly him,” Jack’s smile faded a little bit.

They fell into silence for a few moments and their food arrived. They dug in hungrily. Jack’s burrito was so large he could not eat it with his hands. He tore into it with a knife and fork, turning it into a mess on his plate. Maxwell took a bite of each different taco; shrimp, chicken, and beef before choosing one to eat first. 

After he had eaten enough Maxwell asked, “So when do I get to learn some of your other secrets?”

Jack chuckled, “You haven’t unlocked those secrets yet.”

“How do I unlock them?”

“You have to stick around to find out,” Jack said.

They turned back to their food, eating in a comfortable silence.

“You know how you can get there faster?” Jack asked, putting his utensils down and resting his hands on the table. He leaned in closer.

“How?” Maxwell asked, giving Jack his full attention.

“Let’s keep this date going. After lunch.”

“Okay,” Maxwell said with a smile, “What were you thinking?” 

Jack shrugged, “I just thought of the idea. Maybe a walk?”

“Okay, where?”

“A park?” Jack suggested, “I know a good one, not far from here.”

“Okay,” Maxwell said.

They finished their food and Jack gave him directions to the park as they waited for their to-go boxes. Maxwell packed up his last taco while Jack scrapped the remainder of his burrito into the box. They left the restaurant and stepped out into the parking lot.

“Alright see you soon,” Jack said. He reached out to grab Maxwell’s hand and gave it a squeeze. 

They smiled at each other as they walked away.

***

Maxwell managed to get lost on the drive to the park. He blamed it on Google Maps directing him to the opposite side of the large park than where Jack had gone.

He found Jack on a bench near the parking lot, scrolling through his phone. Maxwell sat down next to him without any announcement. Jack jumped so hard he dropped his phone. It hit the bench and landed on the ground, Maxwell quickly picked it up for him. It was not damaged.

“Truthfully I don’t feel much like a walk. That was a lot of food and I’m tired from work,” Maxwell said.

Also he had worn nice shoes for his date, not walking shoes.

“That’s fine,” Jack said.

He sighed deep and made a big show of placing his hand on Maxwell’s knee. Maxwell covered Jack’s hand with his own, his heart jumping a little bit. 

“Do you want to find a better bench?” Jack asked.

“Yeah,” Maxwell said, standing.

Together they walked down one of the paths in the park. It was a nice Sunday afternoon for autumn and there were lots of people enjoying the nice weather. The park was nice, filled with trees and native grasses. Bird song filled the air.

Maxwell was surprised he had never been here before, it was a beautiful park. They came across a bench overlooking a small pond and they decided to sit down. A small group of geese were wandering around nearby. 

“Wait here, save the bench,” Jack said.

Maxwell did so. He watched as Jack returned to the path and picked up a handful of gravel. He returned to the bench and began to roll the gravel between his fingers. Holding a single stone in his dominant hand. He took aim and slung it at one of the geese. It missed. 

He took aim with a second one, it struck one of the geese, lodging in its fluffed up feathers. It didn’t seem to notice. A family passed by on the path behind them, and Maxwell grabbed Jack’s arm before any children could witness him harassing the wildlife. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Maxwell asked once the family was far enough away.

Jack laughed, “Just enjoying the wildlife.”

He threw another rock and this time hit a goose in the neck. The animal reeled, making a noise. 

“Stop it,” Maxwell said.

He knocked the rest off the gravel out of Jack’s hands. Jack chuckled, unphased.

“Sorry,” he said. 

He didn’t seem very sorry, but harassing geese was not much of a crime. Maxwell could let it slide. He decided to distract Jack by placing his hand on Jack’s thigh. Jack covered Maxwell’s hand with his, and turned to smile at him.

“So do you have any pets?” Jack asked.

“Nope,” Maxwell said.

“Ah, I would have thought you to be a cat person or something.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah, all alone in an apartment by yourself. Don’t you need some company?” Jack asked.

“How do you know I’m all alone?” 

“You live in a one bedroom apartment, I saw the building.”

“How do you know I’m single?” Maxwell asked

“You’re here with me aren’t you?” Jack smiled, squeezing Maxwell’s hand.

Maxwell smiled back, feeling his face start to grow hot. With his pale complexion he knew Jack could see him blushing.

“So are you gonna show me pet pictures?” Maxwell asked, trying to move the conversation along.

“Hell yeah,” Jack said, his smile going from sly to excited.

He showed Maxwell a picture of a golden retriever with grey around it’s muzzle. It was sitting on the floor, looking up at the camera with wide brown eyes.

“Very cute,” Maxwell said.

“This is Sammy, she’s a senior citizen. She is very friendly and loves bananas,” Jack said.

He showed another picture of some sort of border collie mix. The dog had a mixed coat of brown and white. It was fluffy and had perked up ears and had bright blue eyes.

“This is Tessa. She’s a mut, we found her on the side of the road. Someone had cut her tail off and we rescued her.”

“We?” Maxwell asked.

“Me and Corrin. We were driving through the countryside when we found her. She was just a puppy. She still has puppy energy.”

Jack showed him a few more pictures of the two dogs. Jack stopped on one of Corrin asleep on a bed with the dogs on either side of him.

“Very cute,” Maxwell said.

“You’re unlocking all my secrets,” Jack said.

“You’re kid and your dogs are secrets?” Maxwell asked.

“I don’t tell strangers about this stuff,” Jack said with an awkward shrug. 

“All your secrets though?” Maxwell asked.

“No,” Jack said with a harsh laugh, “But I think you’ll get there soon enough.”

“Hmm,” Maxwell sat back on the bench.

He gazed out at the pond, watching the sunlight reflect off of the water. The geese approached the edge of the water and a few ventured in, paddling around in the swampy water. 

“So Maxwell, what do you like to do for fun?” Jack asked.

“Oh, um I knit and listen to podcasts.”

“Really?” Jack asked, incredulous.

“Yeah, I made this scarf.”

He pulled his scarf out of his jacket to show it to Jack. It was one of the best things he had made yet. He had made it with two colors, alternating between black and grey, and had not missed a single stitch. 

“Very nice,” Jack said. He felt the material between his fingers, gently pulling at it to look at the stiches.

“What are your hobbies then?”

“Oh I mostly just watch TV and play video games. I guess I walk the dogs too.”

“What games?”

“Fallout, Skyrim. I just got Outer Worlds.”

“I don’t know anything about those games,” Maxwell confessed.

“Maybe you can come to my house sometime and play them,” Jack said.

“Maybe I will. It’s a date,” Maxwell said.

He found himself smiling again. Jack has shifted on the bench so that he could face Maxwell directly. He removed his hand and slung it over the back of the bench, very close to putting it around Maxwell’s shoulders. 

“So,” he said, “Should we make it official?”

“Yeah, um how about Wednesday, that’s when I have my next half shift.”

“I’ll be home by five. You can come by anytime then. I can make dinner if you want.” 

“Sounds good,” Maxwell said. 

That sat in silence for a few moments. Jack fidgeted slightly, glancing around them. He scooted a little closer to Maxwell, resting his other hand on Maxwell’s thigh.

“I’m getting cold. Ready to call it a day?” Maxwell asked.

He removed Jack’s hand and stood up.

“Okay,” Jack said.

The zeal he had throughout their interaction disappeared. He was staring at the space that Maxwell had been sitting,

_ Oh _ , Maxwell realized too late,  _ he was trying to kiss me. _

“Come on, let’s walk back to the cars," he said offering Jack his hand.

Jack took it, standing up. A smile had returned to his face even if it wasn’t as big as before. They walked the short walk back to the parking lot together. Maxwell thought about grabbing Jack’s hand but was too nervous about showing affection in public. They made it to Jack’s car and paused.

“See you Wednesday?” Maxwell asked, trying to interject enthusiasm into his voice.

“Wednesday,” Jack confirmed, “Text me details.”

His clever smile was back. Maxwell felt better. 

Jack climbed into his car and revved the engine. Maxwell stepped back as he peeled out of the parking spot, waving at Maxwell as he sped off. 


End file.
